


Into the Heart of a Dragon

by Casey_Wolfe



Category: Battle Creek (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Dragon Hunter!Milt, Dragon!Russ, Enemies to Lovers, Family, M/M, Mates, Romance, no bestiality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-24 22:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3786028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casey_Wolfe/pseuds/Casey_Wolfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Russ finds out why Milt is in Battle Creek.  Now the half-dragon has to protect the clan from this hunter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into the Heart of a Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> I got a request for Dragon Hunter!Milt and Russ wanting to protect the dragons for some reason. Well, I had an idea awhile ago for shapeshifting dragons that I was trying to figure out how to use for one of my other fandoms, and it just seemed to click for this. Also this doesn’t have any series spoilers, although it does include a host of characters from episode 7, Momma’s Boy. Without further intro, hope you all enjoy!

 

Russ had been wary of Milt since he showed up.  He wanted to figure out why he was in a place like Battle Creek, learn what he was hiding.  When Russ finally figured it out he could have kicked himself.

They had been on a scene when shooting broke out.  An officer got hit and naturally Milt was the first one there putting pressure to the wound.  Afterward when they returned to the SUV, Milt pulled off his usual suit jacket covered in blood before doing the same with his shirt.  As he was getting a clean replacement from the back, Russ’ eyes caught the tattoo on the underside of his forearm- a Knight’s Templar style sword painted across skin in black and grey.

Russ felt his stomach drop out, going cold.  The color must have drained from his face as well because Milt looked at him in concern.  “Russ?  You okay?”  He reached out a hand to steady him but Russ backed away, not wanting the touch.  He felt betrayed.

“Fine.  Must be the adrenaline wearing off.”  Milt nodded but it was clear he didn’t fully believe him.  Still, the Agent dropped it and the ride back to the station was spent in silence.

As soon as he finished his paperwork, Russ left in a hurry.  He would have liked to have slipped off somewhere to make this phone call earlier but he couldn’t chance Milt listening in.  When the line picked up he got straight to the point.  “Mom?  The clan’s in danger.”

“What?  What’s wrong sweetheart?” Constance asked, voice purposefully calm to soothe him.

“There’s a hunter in Battle Creek.”

* * *

“Are you sure?” Mathis asked, wincing as Constance flicked his ear.

“We wouldn’t be here otherwise,” she replied dryly.

It was times like these that Russ really loved his mother.  The heads of the clan had gathered in Constance’s living room not long after Russ had arrived himself.  “I saw the tattoo.”

It was Henry who said, “Well, as Clan Guardian, you have first say in what you think we should do.”

Russ may have been a half-breed but in dragon society that typically didn’t mean anything.  Family was family and rarely did you find dragons that would treat a half-breed badly or outright shun them all together.  In some clans they were even seen as something incredibly special.  Russ had the advantage of his mother being on the Clan Council when she’d mated to a human, and now that she was an Elder there would be _no one_ that would question Russ’ status.

As the head Guardian of the clan, it was his job to protect them at all costs.  From humans or other dragons, it didn’t much matter.  Although others of their kind were not so much an issue these days.  With their numbers fewer than the olden times when their kind roamed free in full dragon form, they tended to simply stay clear of other clans.  There was the occasional territory dispute, the wild places they could find safety in being eaten away, but mostly the threat came from hunters.

Russ worried his lower lip a moment, knowing the three Elders wouldn’t like to hear it, but they didn’t have much of a choice.  “Take the clan to Sanctuary and stay there.”

Constance scoffed, “And do what?  Hide?  While there’s a hunter on the loose?”  The rest of the small council was murmuring amongst themselves.

Shaking his head, Russ answered, “It’s a precaution.”

“At the very least the children need protected,” Mathis agreed.

“Or Russ could simply gut the boy and get it over with,” Henry suggested.

Russ attempted to hide his displeasure.  Instead he pointed out, “We don’t know if he’s here alone.  He could simply be a scout, that’s true, but he could also have a whole team stationed somewhere in the city.  If he goes dark…”  He didn’t have to explain they could have an all out war on their hands.

“Agreed,” Constance said.  “We’ll take the women and children to the caves.  And those unable to fight.  Give Russ the chance to do some recon.”

“I’d prefer _everyone_ go.”  Some of the Council threw out their agreement, worried about how much the hunter knew of their various locations.

“We weren’t born yesterday,” Henry stated the obvious.  “We can take care of ourselves.”

“And the clan needs their Elders,” Russ stubbornly replied.

Mathis naturally saw reason, being the most level-headed of the trio.  “The clan will be feeling vulnerable.  Our presence _would_ be calming.”

Constance sighed.  “Very well.  We’ll all go to the caves.”

Russ breathed a sigh of relief.  “Thank you Mom.”

She offered him a sad smile.  “Be safe Russ.”

Nodding, Russ took his leave.  He wasn’t about to stick around for council business.  Let them worry about the logistics of getting the clan to Sanctuary.  He had other things to worry about.  He flipped open his cell and hit the speed dial.  “Max.  You and Nick get your asses to my place.  Now.”  He would be putting his fellow Guardians to work.

* * *

It had taken longer than expected but Milt was able to work out the area he thought the local dragon clan was using.  After all, there wasn’t much in the way of forested area around Battle Creek.  The nearby state park was the obvious choice but with over three-thousand acres to comb via satellite imagining it was slow going.

He’d been sent by the Hunter Network to Battle Creek in order to oust the clan that supposedly settled there.  If found then it was his duty to destroy them.  It wouldn’t have been the first dragon he had killed and it hopefully would not be his last.  There were few hunters left and the demons needed dealt with or else the world would surely return to the dark days when the serpents ruled the skies and everything around them burned.

As the world changed and cities grew, dragons had taken to forming clans.  Before, the territorial creatures would have fought viciously, chasing off anyone not family.  These days they clung to each other in hopes of being safe, retreating to small towns and wild places.  It was an act of desperation, a way to hide from the all-seeing eyes of the Network.

Having tracked down the location of a cave, Milt went to check it out.  It was the only thing he’d found that appeared it could be of any interest to the clan.  He wouldn’t know how far it went into the earth, and thus could hide the creatures when they shifted, until he actually got there to poke around.

He had his sidearm with him, however he also had brought along his sword.  Bullets wouldn’t do much against the armored hide of a changed dragon.  No, for that he would need an old fashioned sword to slip between the scales.  Milt hoped he wouldn’t run into any beasts on this scouting trip but it paid to be prepared.

He found the cave with the help of his GPS, stepping out from the treeline and drawing his sword.  It was an ancient weapon, passed through his family as a right of passage.  Scripted on the blade in Latin was the phrase “ _Yield not to evil_.”  It was a constant reminder of why he did what he did, why he lived the life of a knight, a warrior without equal as his ancestors did.  Someone had to protect the world from darkness.

As he approached the cave he was taken off-guard.  It was a hard thing to do after all his training but that’s exactly what happened.  Someone slammed him from the side and they both went down hard.  They rolled across the ground, Milt’s sword slipping from his fingers in the process.  The hunter managed to untangle himself, rolling up to the balls of his feet.

Crouching there, his hand froze on his gun as he stared into the face of his attacker.  “Russ?”

The man stood there, gun in hand pointed right at Milt’s head.  The hunter flashed the palm’s of his hands, moving them out to the side a bit to show Russ he wasn’t going for a weapon.  The Detective’s expression never changed however and Milt could only continue to allow his confusion to show.  “What are you doing here?”

Russ scoffed.  “What do you think…?   _Hunter_.”  Milt sucked in a breath as though he’d been punched in the stomach.  His hearing was cloudy as Russ demanded, “Toss your gun.”  Milt nodded dumbly, slowly doing as he was told, his sword already at Russ’ feet.  All he had left was the dagger at his ankle but it seemed Russ knew of that too.  “And the knife.”

As it plopped neatly on the grass, Milt said, “I don’t understand.”

“Did you think you could just come into Battle Creek without anyone finding out what you were up to?”  Russ nodded down towards his exposed arm, Milt having only dressed in jeans and a teeshirt with a pair of hiking boots suited for his excursion.  The hunter tattoo branded on his arm seemed scalding all of a sudden.  “I knew there was something wrong with you the minute you turned up here.  You’re not getting to the clan.”

Milt frowned.  “If you know all this then why would you protect them?”

“Because I’m one of them.”  Milt’s mouth dropped open.  Apparently the other man could read the disbelief on his face, reaching with one hand for the hem of his own battered tee.  When he pulled it up it revealed the dark green scales running over his hipbones and disappearing past his waistband.

“You’re a dragon?” Milt croaked, eyes pleading with him that it wasn’t true.  He liked Russ, hell, more than liked.  If he was honest he’d fallen for him since that first case they’d worked together.  To learn that he was one of the very things he hunted, his chest ached.

“Half,” Russ corrected, allowing his shirt to drop.  He took a step forward as his second hand returned to the gun, a serious look on his face.  “And as Clan Guardian, it’s my decision on what happens to you.”  Milt’s brows lowered, frown deepening, but Russ’ face didn’t even twitch, hard as stone.  “I should kill you.”  The way he said it made Milt believe he’d done it before.

“So pull the trigger.”

That made Russ hesitate for the first time.  It wasn’t said as a bluff, rather calm resolution.  “What?” he asked dumbly.

“Okay,” the hunter answered.  “Do what you have to do.”

Russ growled.  “What the fuck game are you playing?!”

Milt shook his head, replying dejectedly, “There is no game.  I can’t kill you Russ.  In that… I’ve already failed.”

After a moment of stunned silence, Russ snarled in frustration, the hint of beast coming through.  He couldn’t kill someone who refused to fight back, no matter who that person was.  Although the very fact it was _Milt_ may have reinforced that- despite how much he would deny it, he had been attracted to Milt, drawn in and held captive.

“Whadda you mean you can’t kill me?” the half-breed demanded, though there wasn’t as much heat behind it as he would have liked.

“I…”  A blush colored Milt’s face and he bowed his head.  “I care about you.”

“I’m sure _that’s_ changed,” was the scathing retort.

“No.”  Milt met his gaze and Russ was shocked by the sincerity there.  For once all of Milt’s walls were down, letting Russ see the real him.  “It should,” he admitted, “but no.”  As the hunter looked away, Russ saw the flash of fear cross his face.  “Doesn’t matter…  You do what you have to.”

There was a long moment of silence before the gun slipped from Russ’ hand.  In a movement faster than Milt had ever seen him move before, the older man was on him, pulling him up into a crushing embrace.  “Damnit, why do you gotta be so fucking noble all the time?!”

Milt’s mouth was open, shocked by the way Russ was clinging to him.  He tentatively rested his hands on the half-breed’s back.  “I… I don’t understand.”

“Fuck Chamberlain,” Russ groused, “do I gotta spell it out for you?”

Then there were lips on his and Milt froze.  It only lasted a moment before Milt was pulling him closer, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

“Fuck,” Russ cursed breathlessly as he pulled away.  “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Don’t care,” Milt rumbled in turn, capturing his mouth again.  He nipped at Russ’ lower lip, causing him to open his mouth in a quiet moan.  Milt didn’t waste the opportunity to slip his tongue inside.  He’d half expected to taste hellfire and brimstone, instead there was a fresh minty flavor of mouthwash.

Russ had melted against him, responding in kind.  However once again his brain kicked into gear and he backed away completely then.  “Damnit Milt, wait…  Just wait a minute.”  The dragon was catching his breath, his mind clearly racing.  “I…  We…  This is crazy.”

“Can’t argue that.  But Russ…”  He reached out, snagging his hand to draw those pretty light brown eyes to his.  “I really don’t care about that.  I just care about you.”

Scoffing, Russ remarked, “You know how cheesy you sound right now?”  Milt gave a smirk, shrugging a shoulder.  Russ let a huff through his nose, shaking his head.  He sobered then, becoming serious as he twisted his hand to thread their fingers together.  “I need you.”

It was a soft admittance but Milt felt the power of it all the same.  “I’ll protect you Russ.  I swear it.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about.  It’s the clan.”  Milt nodded in understanding, watching as Russ studied him critically.  “Are there any more hunters in Battle Creek?”

“No.  No, I was sent ahead as a scout.  It was only a belief that there was a clan operating in the area.  I was meant to come in, assess, and call in backup if I’d found anything.”

Russ smirked.  “So you decide to check out a cave, possibly inhabited by dragons, on your own instead.”

 _Well when you put it that way._ Aloud he defended, “I’m very capable of taking care of myself.”

The dragon nodded at that.  “Yeah, I know,” he replied softly, looking towards the cave entrance.  “So what now?”  He looked back at Milt, face steeled for disappointment while his eyes begged for his heart not to be broken.

“I send word back to the Network and tell them there’s nothing here.  Simple.”

Scoffing, Russ took his hand back as he walked away.  “Simple?”  He turned around, hands on his hip, clearly frustrated with the whole situation.  “You’re a _hunter_.  There’s a reason you are what you are…”

No one just became a hunter for no reason, that was true, so Milt didn’t begrudge the man for his skepticism.  “You’re right.  I became a hunter because it’s what my father was, his father before that…  I was taught from the time I was a boy that dragons were evil, vile creatures to be feared and exterminated no matter the costs.”

Russ squeezed his eyes shut, pained by his words.

“I’ve never actually _spoken_ to a dragon long enough to know anything about them.  Until you,” Milt continued.  “You are _nothing_ like that.  Everything I’ve been taught…  I never expected all of that to be wrong.”

Sighing, Russ conceded, “No, I suppose you wouldn’t.”  He bent over to pick up his service weapon, holstering it.  “We’re just like anyone else really.”  They all had their own lives, complete with dreams, goals, and aspirations.  “We have families, jobs, relationships.  Some of us are assholes,” he admitted with a self-deprecating laugh, “but we’re not any more prone to violence than anyone else.”  He paused before adding with a smirk, “We may be more likely to set things on fire but don’t quote me on that.”

The tension eased between them and when Russ offered his weapons back, Milt took them hesitantly.  “I…  I’m sorry Russ.  For, well, everything I guess.”  It was all-encompassing, from the fact Milt had lied to Russ about why he was really in Battle Creek, to believing his people were all ruthless killers.  He paused before taking the sword, eventually shaking his head and pushing it back towards him.  “Keep it.”

Russ could think of an excellent place a sword like this belonged- melted by dragon fire being at the top of his list.  For the moment he accepted the scabbard, loosening the sling to put it over his head so it fell across his chest and the sheathed sword sat comfortably against his spine.  “Well, they’ll be plenty to talk about,” Russ began, “but for now, I think I need to take you to the Elders.  We need to straighten this mess out.”

Milt looked slightly nervous at that prospect but nodded all the same.  “Lead the way.”

They headed into the cave, weaving through the passages as they got both smaller and darker.  Russ had taken his hand and as he glanced back to check on him Milt could see the slight glow of his eyes.  He inhaled sharply in surprise and received a low chuckle from Russ in return before he turned his attention back to where he was going, able to see in the darkness.

Even with Russ’ presence, eventually the tightening space became a bit too much for Milt.  He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his lighter, striking it to allow the soft glow to bathe the area around him.  It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make out what was rubbing up against him and kept him from outright panic.

When they reached what appeared to be the back of the cave, the hunter frowned.  Russ just smirked over his shoulder before his fingers slid into a small crevice.  A section of rock started to shift, swinging open to reveal a hidden passage.  Milt’s eyes widened, knowing that he would have _never_ located it as well as it had been camouflaged.

“Come on,” Russ urged, ushering them through just before the rock returned to its original position.  “That was the best idea we ever had.”  Milt only nodded in agreement, smiling softly when Russ twinned their fingers together and led them down the winding path.

It was wider now in this particular passage, allowing them to walk side by side.  The walls and ceiling were dirt, held back with an old timber system.  It reminded Milt of a mine, recalling in his research that there had been such industry in this part of Michigan at one time.

Sure enough, Russ confirmed his thoughts as a soft glow from lanterns up ahead came into view.  “The old copper mine was shut down.  It was scheduled to be closed off, but we got here first.  We dug this passage connecting the mines to the cave, along with a secondary route.  With the old mining entrances sealed off by the official demo, no one even thinks about the rest of the mine being in tact.”

They stepped out of the tunnel, the space opening up into a vast circular chamber.  There was level upon level of walkways and various side passages all around.  They were somewhere towards the bottom it seemed and Milt looked up in awe as the people milled about.  Lanterns hung around the hall-like space, creating an ancient, warm feeling.

"Welcome to Sanctuary."

"It's beautiful," Milt breathed.  He noted just how large the clan was, at least a good thirty to forty strong by his quick estimation.  Even if he had managed to find this place, there was no hope of him taking it down.  Not that he had any intention of carrying out his orders anymore.

Their entrance hadn’t gone unnoticed.  Two men approached, clearly agitated.  “What gives Russ?” the dirty blonde demanded.

“Didn’t figure you for the sadistic type Agnew,” the brunette added with a smirk.  “Bring ‘im here so we can take turns roasting him alive?”  He snapped his teeth menacingly in Milt’s direction.

The threat caused a shiver to travel down the hunter’s spine, flashing back to dragon fire, trapped in a maze of ruins, the dragons that had killed the entire team with him.  He’d walked out of there covered in soot, hair seared, his hands trembling so much the sword slipped from his grasp.  He had only been a kid, a scared and naive kid pulled into a world of death and destruction.

“Shut it,” Russ snapped in turn.  The half-breed’s voice pulled Milt back to the present, away from the heat building on his skin as the memories threatened to engulf him as surely as the fire had tried to all those years ago.  “He’s with me.  Under my protection.”

Neither man seemed happy about that but Milt stood up a little straighter, not willing to back down.  Russ huffed, looking at the hunter as he introduced the other dragons.  “Max Archer and Nick Shaw.”

“Wait, I know you,” Milt commented, meeting Max’s icy eyes.  “You’re a reporter.  I’ve seen you at the station.”

“Good catch asshole,” Max sniped.

Russ growled, only doing so much to cow the younger dragon.  “Told you we were just like anyone else,” Russ mentioned all the same.  “Nick here own’s a cell store.”

The dirty blonde with hazel eyes seemed a bit more mellow, ducking his head at the added attention.  “And please don’t listen to Constance if she tells you I sell bootleg.”

“Hell,” Russ remarked, “don’t believe _anything_ that comes out of my mother’s mouth.”

Max’s sharp features only strengthened his scowl towards Milt.  “I don’t like this.”

“Noted,” Russ grunted.  “The Elders here?”

Nick jerked his chin towards the edge.  “Down in the pit.”

Milt couldn’t help but come up beside Russ as he looked down over the side and the hunter gasped.  A few stories down were three massive dragons.  One was a fiery red, scales layered over in darkening shades until it reached a rich, deep red.  Another had a similar pattern except in blue, from a periwinkle to an almost navy.  The last was a cream color with a smattering of dark green scales that matched the ones he’d seen on Russ.

“Well,” Russ mused, taking Milt’s hand, “let’s go get this over with.”

“Don’t sound so confident,” Milt threw back, not exactly feeling at ease surrounded by dragons who could turn hostile at any moment.

The hunter wasn’t exactly surprised when Nick and Max flanked them as they made their way down the spiraling path to the base of the mine.  As they got to eye level with the massive beasts, their attention was turned to them immediately.  The large red male growled, smoke coming from his nostrils, while the blue one hissed in surprise and reared his head back.  The female of the group curved her neck to stare at Russ.  Then she simply swatted the irate male with her tail before starting to shift forms.

“Russell,” the blonde woman greeted as they came to stand at the bottom of the mine, her face stern.

The red dragon had turned into an equally enraged looking man.  “What’s the meaning of this?!” he bellowed.  “A _hunter_ in our Sanctuary?!”

It didn’t go unnoticed to the rest of the clan, all the dragons slowly coming to the edges of the walkways, leaning on the rails to look down at the scene.  Murmurs echoed in the cavernous space, growing into a deafening roar.

“Quiet!” the woman barked, voice booming over them, the clan instantly following her command.  She raised her brow at the half-dragon expectantly then.  “Russ?  That’s your cue to explain.”

He cleared his throat, squeezing Milt’s hand.  The hunter wasn’t sure Russ was aware of the action but he squeezed back, giving Russ an encouraging half smile and nod when he looked his way.  Russ offered a slight smile in turn before introducing him to the Elders.  “As you may have guessed, this is Milt Chamberlain.  These are our Elders, Henry,” he gestured to the red dragon, then to the blue, “Mathis, and my mother, Constance.”

Trying to clear the air, Milt said politely, “It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Speak for yourself,” Henry snorted, getting elbowed by Constance in the process.  She halted any further argument with a menacing glare.  There was no doubt about it- she was Russ’ mother alright.

“Well I would hope he gets his backbone from somewhere.”  Milt hadn’t realized he’d actually said that aloud until Constance spoke.  She gave him an appraising look, glancing back to her son.

Russ was never one to beat around the bush so he ended up saying rather bluntly, “They’ll be no hunt.  Milt’s mine.  And that’s the end of it.”

Mathis and Henry were taken aback but Constance only gave him a coy, knowing smile.  “You always did like them tall, dark, and handsome.”  Milt looked like he just about choked on his own tongue and Russ couldn’t help but smirk up at him.  His mother turned serious for a moment as she asked, “Are you sure about this?”

“I wouldn’t put the clan in danger,” Russ assured, his mother nodding.

“And I’d never do anything to hurt Russ,” Milt threw in, looking as confident as always despite all eyes turning on him.

“That doesn’t make you any less of a threat to the clan,” Henry snapped, “even _if_ we believed you.”

“He’s not a threat ‘cause I say he’s not a threat!” Russ snapped, glaring at the hot-tempered Elder.

Mathis had been quietly observing as he usually did, finally speaking up, “I trust Russ’ judgement.”

“As do I,” Constance added.  “Even if you don’t,” she said to Henry, “it doesn’t make a difference.  We all heard Russ claim him.  The deed’s done.  To cast out this man would be to cast out our Russ.”

Milt’s eyes were wide as he looked at Russ, realizing just what the half-breed had done.  “Told ya,” Russ spoke casually, “you’re mine.”

Milt’s face softened, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Russ’ lips before he could think better of it.  How could he help himself though?  Russ had just declared his intentions in front of his entire clan.  He was willing to accept banishment… for _him_.

Russ smiled at him as he pulled away, looking to his mom once again.  Constance only smirked and shook her head.  She pinned her gaze on Milt and said, “Welcome to the family kiddo.”  The word of an Elder was law, and no one would question Russ when he had Constance’s blessing.

Drawing the sword at his back, Russ stabbed the blade into the rough-packed dirt.  It was a declaration- the end of Milt’s old life and the beginning of his new one.  The clan called out their welcomes as Russ embraced his intended mate, locking their lips together.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

Milt was leaning back against the large tree, grateful for the shade provided by its branches.  It was a sunny day in Battle Creek and it was nice to just be able to relax and enjoy the peace.  Russ was seated between his spread legs, resting back against his chest, head on his shoulder as he gazed up into the canopy rather than the park they were in.

Milt’s fingers danced across the skin of Russ’ abdomen and sides, passing over scales on his hips.  It had been strange when they’d first got together but Milt found himself enjoying the feel of them under his hands when they were intimate.

Russ hummed in approval, his own fingers tracing the tattoo on Milt’s left forearm as he looked down at it.  The hunter’s mark had been altered.  Now, wrapped around the sword and hilt, was a dragon.  Rather than simply get it covered, Milt had felt the need to symbolize his transformation from the hunter he’d been, into the Guardian he was.

Milt’s voice was warm in the dragon’s ear, “ _I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory…   I love only that which they defend._ ”  His hand took Russ’ own, bringing it up to press a kiss to his knuckles.

Chuckling, Russ shook his head.  “You and your damn philosophical mumbo jumbo.”

“It’s Tolkien,” Milt said reasonably.  He wrapped his arms around Russ, hooking his chin over his shoulder.  “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“Don’t see much of a point to this whole wedding thing.  It’s not even like it’s legal.”  He had a point of course, Michigan being in the minority of states that didn’t recognize same-sex marriage.

“That still doesn’t mean that all our friends shouldn’t get to wish us well in our new life together,” Milt reasoned, the same argument he used when he and Constance had convinced Russ to go through with a more traditional wedding.

“We’re already mated,” Russ grumbled, snuggling back closer to Milt’s warmth.  He twisted his head so his nose fell under the human’s jaw.

That was also true of course.  The dragons had gathered not a month after the pair got together, performing an ancient mating ritual and accepting Milt officially into the clan.

Still, Milt had always dreamed of the day he’d get to marry, just like a dragon looked forward to their mating.  Constance knew without him even having to say anything- partly from having mated to a human herself but also from her uncanny instincts- and thus set to work getting her son on board.  Honestly, all Milt had to do in the end was give Russ a look, the half-breed muttering about “Damn puppy eyes” and caving.

“I love you Russ,” he murmured, finding a warm, genuine smile spread across his mate’s face.

“Love you too.”

Milt stole a kiss before snuggling back around him.  “At least you get a second honeymoon out of it,” he said, snagging Russ’ earlobe between his teeth.

The dragon batted him away, pretending to be irritated, however there was no missing the start of a smile.  “You mean a proper one this time?” Russ retorted.

Dragons were notorious for keeping to ancient tradition.  Honeymoons used to be just that, an entire moon cycle for the newlyweds to spend bonding.  They hadn’t taken that month after mating, mostly because there was no way they could make the excuses to work.  As far as anyone else had known they had just started dating.  So this time it would be more than an extended weekend trip to a secluded cabin in the woods.

“Just for you,” Milt confirmed, placing light kisses to his mate’s jaw.

“I could get used to you spoiling me,” Russ concluded with a smirk, sinking further against him.  He took hold of Milt’s hand, threading their fingers together.

“I’ll do it forever.”  His lips brushed across Russ’ temple.

“You’re such a sap,” Russ snarked.

“You like it.”

Russ’ smile was filled with warmth.  “I do.”

Shifting in Milt’s embrace, they ended up kissing.  Their lips were warm against the other’s, Milt holding the dragon’s chin and moaning when his jaw dropped to allow Milt entrance.  As their tongues slid together, Milt’s other hand snaked up Russ’ shirt, feeling the scales along his spine.  Russ’ fingers curled around the nape of his mate’s neck, body rolling even closer.

Oblivious to the rest of the world, dragon and human stayed twinned together, content to spend a lazy afternoon simply soaking in the presence of their mate and the love they shared.

/End

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [Tumblr](http://thedenofcaseywolfe.tumblr.com/).


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